Attention Toyota LandCruiser Prado: Hyundai readying for off-road battle with new XRT Pro registered for Australia

Hyundai's plan to take on Australia's off-road adventure market appears to have taken a more hardcore twist, with the Korean giant applying to trademark the nameplate 'XRT Pro' for our market.

The application has only just appeared, but it follows Hyundai's global focus on more capable vehicles to better take on 4WDs like the Toyota LandCruiser Prado and Lexus GX.

According to US site Automotive News, Hyundai is operating off "big data" that reveals its customers have a strong interest in "camping and gear-intensive adventures".

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That big data presumably led to last year's Santa Fe XRT concept, which offers more than just a tougher look, with a lift kit, 30-inch all-terrain rubber, underbody protection, a rough-stuff-ready cargo carrier, exterior cargo boxes, a roof-mounted spare tyre and exterior off-road cameras all fitted.

The Santa Fe is due in Australia soon, and an XRT version could follow it, with Hyundai said to have a "keen interest" in the model, though it has stopped short of confirming it.

Where it gets interesting, though, is in the fact that Hyundai has registered both "XRT" and "XRT Pro" in Australia, suggesting the potential to have levels of capability, from mildly increased to all-out rugged.

The other big question is whether the nameplate could finally be applied to Hyundai's long-awaited ladder-frame LandCruiser rival, which has been rumoured for years.

In fact, stories trace as far back as 2020, with the brand having been tipped to make use of sister brand Kia's ladder-frame ute chassis to finally build an off-road and tow-ready 4WD to compete with vehicles like the Prado, the LandCruiser 300 Series and the Nissan Patrol.

That big data presumably led to last year's Santa Fe XRT concept, which offers more than just a tougher look.

Take this, from Hyundai's Head of Global Product Management, Lorenz Glaab, who told us in 2020 that the brand was then monitoring the off-road SUV space.

"I mean, from a brand perspective, obviously that is thinkable," he said. "Now whether it makes sense and what region and what concepts remain to be seen. But nothing can be excluded.

"We monitor, and there is some dynamism in that segment... we are very much aware of that. We monitor very closely, and if we believe there is an opportunity for us, we can move pretty fast."

It's also worth pointing out that the brand is thought to be working on two all-electric utes, expected to be called the Ioniq T7 and Ioniq T10, and it stands to reason that the name XRT Pro could adorn a flagship off-road truck, in keeping with the Ford Ranger Raptor or Nissan Navara Warrior.